Golf accessory

ABSTRACT

A golf accessory for fastening to the outside of a golfer&#39;&#39;s garments, such as to the shoe, which includes a flexible, doublepocketed, lightweight unit designed to receive and store a ball spotter which is removably attached to the unit in a snap fastener recess, a pronged cleat cleaner and green repair tool, and a pair of golf tees, the ball spotter comprising a disclike body portion having a projecting stud with a headed portion to be received in a snap fastener recess.

United States Patent;

2,662,677 12/1953 Perry lnventor Faye M. Maretka 13688 l-lannan Road,Romulus, Mich. 48174 Appl. No. 763,540 Filed Sept. 30, 1968 PatentedJan. 19, 1971 GOLF ACCESSORY 2 Claims, SDrawing Figs.

US. Cl.- 224/5, 273/32 Int. Cl. A45f 5/00, A631: 5 7/00 Field of Search150/ (Inquired); 224/5.4, 5.5, 26; 273/162, 32

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,120,388 2/1964 Doble 273/32(B)3,272,412 9/1966 Antonious 224/21X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,043,683 9/1966Great Britain 273/ 162(D) Primary Examiner-Gerald M. ForlenzaAttorney-Barnes, Kisselle, Raisch & Choate ABSTRACT: A golf accessoryfor. fastening to the outside of a golfers garments, such as to theshoe, which includes a flexible, double-pocketed, lightweight unitdesigned to receive and store a ball spotter which is removably attachedto the unit in a snap fastener recess, a pronged cleat cleaner and greenrepair tool, and a pair of golf tees, the ball spotter comprising adisclike body portion having a projecting stud with a headed portion tobe received in a snap fastener recess.

PATENIEI] JAN 1 919m FIG.3

INVENTOR FA Y5 M MAAQT/(A AT TORNEVS GOLF ACCESSORY golfer which can bereadily fastened to the shoe or an outer garment to avoid the necessityof reaching in the pockets for the various devices that are used ingolfing which includes a convenient, snap-in ball position marker, golftees, cleat cleaners and green repair tool, all available for readyaccessibility. I

It is an object of the invention to provide a golf accessory which canbe small and heat in appearance and which can be always easilyaccessible and which carries the small necessary accessories for use inordinary golf games.

It is a further object to provide a carrying device which is extremelycompact and which, by reason of its construction, adapts to the carryingof a ball position marker, golf tees,- and a cleat cleaner which'doublesas a green repair tool, these being arranged in such a way as to providean extremely attractive unit.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent in thefollowingdescriptionand claims in which the details of the device andthe principle of operation is described in connection with the best modecontemplated by the inventor.

DRAWINGS accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof maybebriefly described as:

FIG. 1, a front elevation of the unit;

FIG. 2, a view of the unit as fastened to a shoe;

. FIG. 3. a view partially in section taken on lines 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4, a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, an illustration of the use of the ball spotter or positionmarker;

FIG. 6, an illustration of the cleat cleaner;

FIG. 7, an illustration ofv the use of the cleat cleaner as a greenrepair tool; and

FIG. 8, a perspective view of the ball position marker.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the unit which is composed of a back panel orplate which is enlarged at the lower end 22 and which has a reinforcingplate 24 at the narrow and upper end extending about one-third thelength of the back panel. This panel 20 and the plate 24 are preferablyformed of a flexible material such as leather or a synthetic equivalentjoined by adhesive or stitching. The upper end is provided with holes 26which permit the unit to be fastened to a shoe 28 as shown in FIG. 2.The reinforcing plate 24 provides a stiffness which prevents the unitfrom flapping on the shoe.

.Approximately the lower two-thirds of the back plate or panel 20 arecovered by a front plate 30 also formed of a flexible material such asleather. This plate 30 is fastened to the sides of the enlarged portionof the back plate by stitching at 32, this stitching extendingtransversely inward at 34 a short distance. Also the front plate 30 isstitched to the back plate centrally'at 36, thus forming two spacedpockets open at each end. As shown in the drawings, these pocketsreceive a pair of tees 38, the device being so dimensioned that the teesproject downward with their pointed ends terminating approximately atthe bottom of the pockets. The pockets also serve to retain a tool 40shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 which has a double prong 42 at the bottom end tobe used in the cleaning of cleats 44 of a shoe. The pronged end may alsobe used to repair the green if it has been depressed or damaged by alanding ball. The depressed area is gently lifted by the prongs of thetool.

The two prongs 42 straddle the central stitching 36 and are, therefore,received respectively in the pockets of the unit along with the tees 38and the pressure of the tees in conjunction with the resilience of thematerial from which the plates are formed serves to exert a pressurewhich holds the cleat cleaner 40 in place. The lower end of the frontplate 30 is provided with a snap retainer socket which has a recess 52.A ball position marker is formed with a disclike body having a male stud62 with a headed end 64 to be removable received in a snap relationshipin the recess 52.

The ball spotter is preferably formed of a metal which can be plated orcolored in an attractive way and the metal has a sufficient weight thatit will hold the spotter down into the blades of the grass of a green sothat it will not interfere with the passage of a ball over it. This alsoadds to the attractiveness of the unit as it is worn on the shoe. Thecleat cleaner and green repair tool 40 is also preferably formed of alightweight but strong sheet of metal having two functional operationsbut also forming an attractive background for the tees which arepositioned in front of it in the spaced pockets.

Thus, it will be seen that the unit. which is easy to wear and easy touse can be attached=to a garment such as a belt or shoe or other articleof clothing, permits the ready accessibility of the stored items withoutthe necessity of a golfer reaching into his pocket to pull out thevarious items, Storage in the pocket causes the clothing to be soiled.Thus, the use of the described accessory saves on cleaning bills. Thereis also more wear and tear on the clothing when the accessories are inthe pocket and introducing the hand when wet with perspirationcontributes tothe inconvenience. The outside accessory as abovedescribed provides a muchimore advantageous way of providing easyaccessibility to the units which are usedfrequently in each traversefrom tee to green. The lower portion of the plate 30 being loose makesit convenient to remove and replace the ball spotter and also prevents atight bindingof the tees so that they can be snugly secured but easilyremovable. THe entire unit can be very lightwith a total weightof aboutone ounce.

It will be seen that the device canbe readily used by a golferregardless of the outer apparel which he is wearing. It can be attachedto a belt or a shoe or even a buttonhole or jacket zipper and thus womengolfers who might not wear a belt could use the device as readily as aman golfer.

Because the accessories are all readily available on the outer garments,play on the green is speeded since fumbling in the pockets is avoidedand one player may be required to mark aball position two or three timeson one green. Carrying the device on the shoe is ideal since the ballposition marker is readily accessible as the player bends down to liftthe ball. Also in repairing the green as the player bends down, the toolis at hand. I

I claim:

1. A golf accessory comprising:

a. a flexible back plate, such as leather, elongate in shape and widenedat one end, the other end being apertured to facilitate fastening to theoutside of a garment and having a reinforcing panel at said other end onthe back face thereof to stiffen the fastening end;

b. a flexible front plate overlying the widened end and secured to theback plate at a portion of the sides and at the center to form a pair ofpockets open at each end, the pockets being narrowed at the lower end bya transverse fastening approximately centered with respect to the longitudinal dimension of the front plate, wherein to receive and secure apair of golf tees in the respective pockets, and to secure also a forkedcleat cleaner with the respective forks being received in the respectivepockets;

. a snap-fastener element on said front plate positioned in a freeportion thereof below said transverse fastening and exposed to theoutside of said plate; and

d. a ball spotter comprising'a disclike body having a stud portionextending from one side thereof, the end of said stud portion carrying asnap fastener element to cooperate with the element on said front plate.

2. A golf accessory comprising:

a. a flexible back plate apertured at one end for fastening purposes;

b. a flexible front plate secured to the back plate at the sides and thecenter to form spaced pockets open at the top;

c. a female snap recess anchored in a portion of said front plate; v d.a pair of golf tees received in said pockets;

e. a forked plate having prongs received for storage respectively insaid pockets for use to clean golf shoe cleats; and

edges to provide a flap to facilitate insertion and removal of the ballspotter into the recess.

1. A golf accessory comprising: a. a flexible back plate, such asleather, elongate in shape and widened at one end, the other end beingapertured to facilitate fastening to the outside of a garment and havinga reinforcing panel at said other end on the back face thereof tostiffen the fastening end; b. a flexible front plate overlying thewidened end and secured to the back plate at a portion of the sides andat the center to form a pair of pockets open at each end, the pocketsbeing narrowed at the lower end by a transverse fastening approxiMatelycentered with respect to the longitudinal dimension of the front plate,wherein to receive and secure a pair of golf tees in the respectivepockets, and to secure also a forked cleat cleaner with the respectiveforks being received in the respective pockets; c. a snap-fastenerelement on said front plate positioned in a free portion thereof belowsaid transverse fastening and exposed to the outside of said plate; andd. a ball spotter comprising a disclike body having a stud portionextending from one side thereof, the end of said stud portion carrying asnap fastener element to cooperate with the element on said front plate.2. A golf accessory comprising: a. a flexible back plate apertured atone end for fastening purposes; b. a flexible front plate secured to theback plate at the sides and the center to form spaced pockets open atthe top; c. a female snap recess anchored in a portion of said frontplate; d. a pair of golf tees received in said pockets; e. a forkedplate having prongs received for storage respectively in said pocketsfor use to clean golf shoe cleats; and f. a ball spotter formed as adisc having projecting from one side thereof a headed male prong to snapinto said recess, the front plate being free of the back plate at thelower edges to provide a flap to facilitate insertion and removal of theball spotter into the recess.